Combined rake and stalk-cutter.



W. MERGER.

COMBINED RAKE AND STALK CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8,, 1909.

' Patented July 5, 1910.

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w. MERGER. COMBINED BAKEAND STALK CUTTER APPLICATION IILBI) JULY 8, 1909. 963,455. Patented July 5,1910.

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W. MERCER. COMBINED RAKE AND STALK CUTTER urmonmn H'Lnnmn's, 1909.

963,455; Patented Julj5,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MERCER, OF GILLIAM, LOUISIANA.

COMBINED RAKE AND STALK-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J uly 5, 1910, Application filed July 8, 1909. Serial No. 506,567.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MERCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gilliam, in the parish of Caddo and State of new and useful Louisiana, have invented a forth description and the accompanying drawings in connection therewith, wherein,

Figure is a plan re Combined Rake and Stalk-Cutter; and I do moved, showing the rake and the severin hereby declare the following to be a full, means applied to the rear axle of the runclear, and exact description of the invenning gear. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. tion, such as will enable others skilled in *ig. 3 is a perspective View of the rear the art to which it appertains to make and axle, showing the severing means clamped use the same. thereto. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail perhis invention pertains to cotton stalk spective view of a portion of the severing iarvesters, and the primary ob ect thereof is means. Fig 5 is a perspective view showto provide a simple efficient device of this ing the connections between the rake and the design, whereby cotton stalks may be easily hounds of the rear axle. Fig. 6 is a plan and readily severed, and thereafter raked in View of arake frame, showing the severing piles. means applied thereto. Fig. is a perspec- The invention aims as a further object to ive View s owing the connection between provide a severing device for the stalks, the pivotally mounted rake and the axle of which may be easily and quickly applied to the rake frame, as shown in F1 6 the rear axle of an ordinary wagon. When In regard to the drawings 1 designates the the severing device is applied in this manbolster of the rear axle 2 of t e running ner, the body of the wagon, the front axle gear, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. and the front wheel are removed, and to the 3 and 4; designate the rear hounds of the coupling pole the usual equalizer and neck running gear, while 5 designates the wheels yoke are applied. of t e apparatus. Attached to the rear exfurther object of the invention is to tremities of the hounds are the members 6, provide means, whereby the rake, which is which are secured in place by suitable bolts pivotally attached to the rear portion of 7, as s own. 8 designates p ates, which are the frame of the running gear of the wagon, provided with central arched portions 9. may be raised and lowered. hese plates are secured by several bolts to further object is the provision of a t e ar 10 of the rake. To fasten the plates novel plan for securing the severing means '8 to the bar, they must first be inserted o the rear axle of the runnin gear, comthrough the apertures 11 of the members 6. prising a pair of members which are adapt- Carried by the bar 10 are a plurality of ed to straddle the axle, and held in such members 12 forming suitable rake teeth. position by means of suitable bolts or other hese members 12 are provided with coil fastening means. portions 13, so as to provide resiliency for This invention comprises further objects the teeth. The ends 1 1 of said members 12 and combinations of elements, which will be are secured by means of bolts 15 to the said hereinafter more fully described, shown in ar 10, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. the accompanying drawings, and the novel Secured by bolts 16 are two members 17, features thereof will be pointed out by the which are angularly arranged with relation appended claim. The features, elements and to the bar 10, their upper ends being brought 15 the arrangement thereof, which constitute together, as clearly shown, and to them the the above entitled invention may be chan ed connecting rod 18 is pivotally connected by or varied, that is to say, in an actual re ucmeans of the bolt 19. tion to practice with the understanding that ounted upon the coupling pole of the the c anges and variations accruing from running gear is a segment rack 19, to which 0 said reduction to practice are limited to the a lever 20 is pivoted to which lever the con scope of the appended claim.

is pivotally connected, as will To obtain a full and correct understande clearly seen in Fig. 2. The lever 20 is provided with a pawl 21, which is designed to cooperate with the teeth 22 of the segment 19, that is to say, when it is desired ,themanip lation of. the hand grip rear to hold the rake teeth inaraisedposition. To disengage the pawl from the-teeth-, a hand grip 23 is carriedby and pivoted to the lever 20, adjacent the handle portion of the lever. Said hand grip and the pawl have pivoted between them a rod 24. By may be easily and quickly disengaged from the teeth. Also carried by the coupling pole 25. is a spring member 26, to the upper and portions of which the usual form of seat 27 is secured. The'usual formof equalthe coupling pole as will be seen 35, as shown which is longer than member izer and neck yoke 28 and29 are carried by clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

30 and 31 designate clamping members,

which are disposed, one upon each side of the axle and bolster of the running gear,

and are secured in such position by means of thebolts and nuts 32 and 33, and 34 and clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of Secured to the member 30, 31, by the bolts and nuts 34 and 35, and by the additional bolts 36 and nuts 37 is an angle member 38, to the lower angle portionof which the knife 39 is securely fixed, there being several bolts the drawings.

- 40 for rigidly and securely holding the knife is to say with relation have a shearing action the form shown in Fig.

rake them into piles.

in the proper position.

1 is disposed approxi The knife in Fig. 'mately upon a forty-five degree angle, that to the axle of the that the knife may upon the stalks. In 6, the angle of the knife is somewhat varied. By drawing the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 through a cotton field, the knife will easily and quickly sever the stalks, while the rake will readily To deposit the stalks into piles, it is necessary to swing the rake running gear, in order upon, its pivot, through the manipulation of the lever 20.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, the same form is connected tothe axle thepawl carried by 'means'of the same clamping memb shown in Fig.

thereof are designated by corresponding refployed, with the exception that it is pivoted to the usual rake carrying frame 42, having the usual form of tongue 43. This tongue of the rake carrying frame by the angle plates 44, and is brace rigidly in position by the members 45, as shown clearly. The rake is pivoted to the rake carrying frame, in the same manner as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, but with the exception that the members 6 are somewhat differently formed, their lateral portions 6 being secured to the axle 46 of the rake carrying frame, by means of the bolts 47. The axle 46 is provided with the usual form of wheels 48. r V g I As will be clearly seen the knife 39 is and secured to the axle 46 by ers 30 and 31.

The rake in Fig. 6 is identical with that 2, the parts and elements erence characters.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 2--' In a cotton stalk harvester, a wagon frame,

a rake mechanism carried thereby, a pair of parallel members, one

rear axle of the wagon frame, a right angular member secured to the longer member, and a stalk cutting knife bolted to the right angular member with its cutting edge extending at an angle of nearly degrees to the axleof the wagon frame. a

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MERCER.

Witnesses:

A. It. CURRY, HARRY C. WYOHS.

of which is longer I than the other removably clamped to the 

